It really doesn’t matter what time of day you eat it -drink it or sprinkle it on your food…

Excitotoxins are slowly and methodically killing your brain.

What are excitotoxins, you ask?

Excitotoxins are tasty little amino-acids that food manufacturers use to ‘sweeten’ and ‘spice-up’ our foods and beverages.

Do you enjoy diet soda or Crystal-Light?

Do you put Nutrasweet (aspartame) in your morning coffee?

Do you enjoy sauces, gravies, rubs, marinades, soups or salad dressings?

Do you enjoy dining out?

Sometimes eat fast-food?

If your food or drink comes in a bag, box, bottle, packet or can
-it probably has some excitotoxins added for flavor.

So what do these excitotoxins do -beside make my food and drinks taste yummy?

Well, there are some ‘exciting’ characteristic of excitotoxins.

For instance, as soon as excitotoxins enter the bloodstream, they go straight to the brain and excite the specific brain neurons that give us pleasure.

That’s the exciting part!

The uglier side of excitotoxins is that once in the brain,
they don’t know when to say ‘when.’

Excitotoxins keep ‘exciting’ the brain’s pleasure neurons until the neurons finally die!

Did you get that?

Excitotoxins actually stimulate the brain to death!

The effects of repeated brain cell death are tragic and repeated excitotoxin exposure has been found to greatly contribute to the following life-threatening diseases:

• ALS (Lou Gherig’s Disease)
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Brain tumors
• Chronic inflammation
• Chronic stress
• Dementia
• High blood pressure
• Hypoglycemia
• Hypoxia
• Immune deficiency
• Impaired blood flow
• Infections
• Irregular heartbeat
• Memory loss
• Obesity
• Parkinson’s disease
• Pituitary, thyroid, hypothalamus, adrenal and reproductive dysfunction
• Rheumatoid arthritis

So what do excitotoxins look like?

Here are the common sources of food additives containing excitotoxins:

• Aspartame
• Autolyzed Yeast (also called ‘Natural Flavorings’)
• Bouillon
• Broth
• Calcium Caseinate
• Corn Oil
• Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
• Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
• Hydrolyzed Protein
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (cheap, tasty but very dangerous soy product)
• Malt Extract
• Malt Flavoring
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
• Natural Beef Or Chicken Flavoring
• Plant Protein Extract
• Sodium Caseinate
• Soy Protein (Isolate and Concentrate)
• Stock
• Textured Protein (Including TVP –another dangerous soy product)
• Various Seasonings
• Yeast Extract

So you see, there’s nothing exciting about excitotoxins.

Flavorful or not, aspartame, MSG and all the aforementioned sources of excitotoxins are absolutely deadly.

So what can you do to stay lean and healthy?

Drink more water and avoid soda, flavored drinks and drink mixes.

Eat more natural, whole foods.

Only use fresh herbs, spices and condiments like horseradish or fresh salsa to flavor your foods.

Don’t let dinner make you sick, fat, dumb -or worse yet…

Don’t let dinner make you dead.

Further reading and resources:

Excitotoxicity and ALS (Lou Gherig’s Disease)
PubMed.gov

Excitotoxins and Autism
PubMed.gov

Excitotoxins
Wikipedia article

‘Hidden Sources of MSG’
Excerpt from Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD

‘Food Additive Excitotoxins and Degenerative Brain Disorders’
An article by Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills
Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD – Amazon.com

]]> http://www.sportfitnow.com/2011/01/is-dinner-making-you-dumb/feed/ 0 http://www.sportfitnow.com/2011/01/lean-gain-principles-ebook-review/?nucrss=1#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://www.sportfitnow.com/2011/01/lean-gain-principles-ebook-review/#comments Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:49:15 +0000 admin http://www.sportfitnow.com/?p=1204 It has often been said that ‘not a single ounce of muscle has ever been built in the gym…’

And, it’s true!

Muscle isn’t built by training with weights…

Training is what bodybuilders do to tear their muscle down…

Muscle is built at the training table and while you sleep.
-That’s where real muscle is built.

Now, just getting more sleep is fairly easy, but unless you really know what your doing in the nutrition department -you may just be spinning your wheels and wasting your energy.

Enter Shelby Starnes and Steve Colescott:

With over 30 years of combined experience, Shelby Starnes and Steve Colescott are nothing short of experts in the potentially treacherous field of muscle building nutrition.

Don’t think bodybuilding nutrition is tricky?

Take a look around your local gym.

How many people look the same today as they did last year -two years ago -five years ago?

Even though they work hard, most typical gym-goers haven’t made any significant progress since their ‘newbie gains’ tapered off way back when.

‘The devil is in the details’ as they say and it’s the details of your nutrition that will make all the difference between adding quality muscle to your frame -or toiling away tirelessly year after year with very little to show for your efforts.

The Lean Gain Principles eBook is chock full of detailed nutritional information that is far more than just supposition and theory.

The information presented here is time-tested and proven; -proven by the authors themselves and proven by their thousands of satisfied clients.

The basic premise of the Lean Gain Principles is macronutrient rotation -or Macrotation© as the authors have dubbed it.

Macrotation© takes advantage of the impact that protein, fat and carbohydrate have on the body’s metabolism and  hormonal system.

By carefully manipulating these macronutrients and providing the body with exactly what it needs -precisely when it needs it -muscle is built at an optimal rate while avoiding the fat accumulation that typically accompanies a muscle building caloric surplus.

But don’t you worry.

You don’t have to understand the science of Macrotation© to take advantage of the best muscle building strategy available.

All you have to do is read through the book and plug your specific numbers into the detailed charts that are provided and violá!

It’s all done for you!

The Lean Gain Principles reads like a recipe book for muscle building success.

You just have to add the appropriate ingredients as directed -and follow the recipe as written.

It really doesn’t get any simpler than this.

And if that weren’t enough…

Shelby and Scott have also included over 12 pages of bodypart-specific training advice and their favorite exercise selections for muscle growth.

Combine this with the nutritional information and you can see what a fantastic value this eBook really is.

You get:

• The What, Why and How of effective bodybuilding nutrition
• Sample diets: Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, shakes and snacks
• Pre, During and Post training nutrition specifics
• Supplementation: What works and how to use it
• Food prep basics
• Advanced food prep guide
• Basic training guidelines
• Shelby and Steve’s favorite exercises for packing on the pounds

So if you’re tired of busting your butt in the gym and not gaining the muscle you deserve…

Buy this book and make this year different.

Transform your physique now.

Lean Gain Principles eBook
Format
The Lean Gain Principles eBook is 41 pages and formatted into 12 basic chapters. Each chapter covers a specific component of a successful off-season, muscle growth phase. It's not quite as nice as having a real, hardcover book in your hands, but the eBook format can be read on any computer or electronic reading device (like the Kindle or iPad). For those needing something tangible in their hand to read, the eBook can easily be printed off as a whole or one page at a time to highlight passages of importance or to take specific pages with you to the gym or to the grocery store. You can even upload your eBook to a cloud-type app like Dropbox.com so your eBook is only an internet connection away.
Content
The information in 'Lean Gain Principles' is solid, but the writing is a little less than stellar in some areas. The main ideas are communicated well enough, but as a whole the work could have used a bit more time in the editing process. Not to worry though. Many of you won't even notice the spelling errors and simple slips of syntax. The main focus of the book is Macrotation© and how nutrient timing can change your physique for the better. Whether or not you understand the intricate details of Macrotation© doesn't matter. Shelby and Scott have helped thousands of clients achieve bodybuilding success using the information within the pages of the Lean Gain Principles eBook. The information is solid. You just have to follow the rules as written and watch as you finally begin building the muscle you've been working so hard for.
Value
Next to hiring Shelby and Scott to write your diet and coach you along the way, you really aren't going to find anything that compares to the value this eBook provides. Between the nutritional information and the training advice and exercise selection -this eBook is a phenomenal value!

Overall
If you've struggled to gain muscle mass while staying as lean as possible -the Lean Gain Principle eBook is just what you've been waiting for. Stop wasting your time and start building muscle.

“Lean Gain Principles” An Off Season Nutrition Guide“

Well, I am happy to report that after just one week, I have dropped over 17 pounds, 4% bodyfat and two inches off my belly.

My waist measurement has decreased some, but not quite an inch yet.

Suffice it to say,  I am more than pleased with the results for the both of us so far.

Keylea has lost 8 pounds this week. She is feeling fantastic!

But even so, we won’t measure her until her cycle has passed.

A woman’s menstrual cycle can play havoc on her weight, her measurements and of course -her emotions.  So there’s no good sense in measuring what you know isn’t accurate and what you can be relatively sure will be more bad news than good.

The emotional toll just isn’t worth whatever metric data you may or may not discover.

At the outset, I wanted to try the training routine that Tim outlines in the book.  And in fact I did perform the very first training session exactly as Tim describes. It was short, sweet -and everything I remembered High Intensity Training to be.

However, HIT training  is very familiar to me. I have used HIT several times in the past; on myself and with various clients.

And while HIT can be very effective for beginners, the under-trained or those coming off an injury -High Intensity Training just isn’t my cup of tea at this stage in my life.

I enjoy my time in the gym and although HIT can be very effective -the counting, timing and cadences required to perform that type of training properly, just seem to sap my energy and drain my enthusiasm.

I will instead continue to use the training program that has been the most enjoyable for me to date:

Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Training Program

The 5/3/1 program allows me to make substantial strength gains while working well below the level of muscular failure.

I can also incorporate the Olympic lifts and other more specialized training implements without over-taxing myself or pushing my recovery capabilities.

Fat Loss and Strength Training:

Dieting while building strength and/or muscle tissue can be tricky.

Many would say that you cannot serve two masters; that one must either focus on fat burning or muscle building.

I have always challenged this theory and I believe that this little experiment will help me establish the appropriate diet, training and supplement  program to accomplish both goals simultaneously.

Supplementation:

Right now, I am taking the following Poliquin nutritional supplements to aid my recovery, fortify my immune system and give me an advantage in my fat loss efforts:

Upon waking, on an empty stomach:
Two (2) Holy Basil Supreme

Immediately after training:
Three (3) UberZinc Px
Two (2) UberMag Px

With each meal:
Two (2) Ultra HCL 4.0 -Mid-meal
Five (5) grams Fish Oil in either liquid or capsule form

Before Bed:
Two (2) UberMag Plus Px *with L-Tryptophan
Two (2) UberZinc Px
Two (2) Tribulus Supreme

I am still feeling very strong.

In fact, even after losing my 17 pounds, I experienced absolutely no loss of strength during my squat training tonight -which for me -is quite amazing. My squat is usually the first thing to suffer as I cut weight.

Not this time though. And I could not be happier.

Stay tuned!

]]> http://www.sportfitnow.com/2011/01/becoming-super-human-part-deux/feed/ 1 http://www.sportfitnow.com/2010/12/happy-healthy-smart-and-lean/?nucrss=1#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://www.sportfitnow.com/2010/12/happy-healthy-smart-and-lean/#comments Thu, 30 Dec 2010 20:16:20 +0000 admin http://www.sportfitnow.com/?p=1148 You just might need more D3  -ya know what I mean?

If you’re feeling kind of down, or maybe a little SAD as the experts call it, you might just need a bit more Vitamin D3.

You probably don’t think much about it -but
Vitamin D3 is an incredibly important nutrient!

We all need adequate Vitamin D to build and maintain strong bones, regulate our blood pressure, protect us from Diabetes, keep us healthy and fight disease by fortifying our immune system (1, 2, 3).

We know that Vitamin D is essential for cognitive development in infants, children and in young adults.

Adequate Vitamin D is also crucial for avoiding cognitive decline later in life.

We also know that Vitamin D deficiency has a strong connection with Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, and cancer of the colon, breast, and prostate (4).

And if that’s not enough, as an extra added bonus, new research is suggesting that Vitamin D can even help you lose abdominal fat too (5)!

‘How cool is that!?’ As Flo would say!

We get most of our D3 through our skin from sunlight exposure (I bet you’re not getting a whole lot of that right now, eh? -Especially in the northern hemisphere).

Fish is another great source of Vitamin D…. you could try eating more fish if you like.

Mackerel, Catfish, Tuna and Eel yield the highest concentrations of Vitamin D.

Cod Liver Oil is a darn good source of Vitamin D too
(See? Grandma knew what she was talking about after all)!

But chances are, even if you are able to spend some quality time in the sun and you do enjoy eating fish fairly often, you could probably benefit greatly with a little extra Vitamin D in your blood, one way or the other.

Got D?

See this informative, in-depth article over at the Poliquin website for all the nifty science, explanations and more references, of course!

References:

1. Autier P, Gandini S. Vitamin D supplementation and total mortality: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med 2007 Sep 10;167(16):1730-7.
2. Deane A, Constancio L, Fogelman I, et al. The impact of vitamin D status on changes in bone mineral density during treatment with bisphosphonates and after discontinuation following long-term use in post-menopausal osteoporosis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2007 Jan 10;8:3.
3. Goldstein MR. Myopathy, statins, and vitamin D deficiency. Am J Cardiol. 2007 Oct 15;100(8):1328. Epub 2007 Jun 29. Comment on: Am J Cardiol 2007 Apr 15;99(8):1171-6.
4. http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/170/13/1135
5. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153669.php

I don’t mind the break from my own personal training routine at all ~because any time I get to spend with my beautiful wife is time well spent!

The both of us have found new inspiration for our diet and training in Tim Ferriss’ new book, The 4-Hour Body.

I’m a huge Tim Ferriss fan and as soon as I had the opportunity to purchase his new book, I jumped at the chance.

I originally purchased a dozen advance copies of Tim’s book to give away as Christmas gifts.

After receiving my purchase, I found myself reading the book not once, but several times over.

In fact, The 4-Hour Body is so fun, interesting and easy to read -that I still pick it up anytime I have an idle moment.

I just flip it open and scan through the pages.

Of course, I already have a few dozen pages tabbed with Post-it® 1-inch page tabs so I have quick access to everything that interests me.

The Post-it® tabs simplify things because I can use the different colored tabs to arrange the book’s content by subject matter, particular ideas or, in this case, my particular goals.

Now, I’ll admit, I’m not so OCD that I remember what each and every colored tab means -but by simply flipping open a tabbed page -I can then recognize what that colored tab represents -and then go from there.

Of all the well-detailed plans laid out in  The 4-Hour Body, there are three that the wife and I will stick to in reaching our goals.

1. Rapid Fat Loss (Losing 20 Pounds in 30 Days)
2. The Perfect Posterior (or How to Lose 100 + pounds)
3. From Geek to Freak -Gaining 34 lbs of Muscle in 28 Days

We’ll both use the principles in the rapid fat loss chapters to begin.

Keylea wants to build her ‘posterior’ (read: J-Lo beware!)
-so she’ll be focusing on the material in that particular chapter.

I, on the other hand, just want to be lean and buff -so I will be concentrating more on Tim’s advice to build muscle in the least amount of time and with the very least effort I need to expend to achieve the maximum results -a Tim Ferriss trademark!.

All in all, the material in The 4-Hour Body is very well thought out and extremely well researched.

I look forward to keeping you all updated with our progress over the next few months.

To Your Good Health!

Of course you have!

Who hasn’t?

We all know that these things are possible.

We just don’t like how long it takes or how much work goes into achieving these things.

It typically takes months or years and a ton of patience to see any measurable results.

Well, what if I told you that there was a way to achieve all of those goals in much less time and with much less work than you might expect?

Pretty exciting, right?

Or not….

I mean, everybody tells us that their product or service can do these things for us -don’t they?

And very few of these products or services ever deliver.

That’s why I am eagerly awaiting the December 14th release of Tim Ferriss’ new book,
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman!

I am a huge Tim Ferriss fan!

I follow his blog and read everything he writes.

I loved the The 4-Hour Workweek and I still use it as a guide for improving my productivity (at work and life in general) on a daily basis.

Tim is one of those people you just can’t help but like. He’s genuine, sincere and he’s always trying to help others live more fulfilling lives.

I like that!

I have watched as Tim experimented on himself over the last several years -using the very same principles he writes about in ‘The 4-Hour Body’

It has been fascinating to witness Tim’s various transformations and accomplishments!

Will The 4-Hour Body change my life?

Will The 4-Hour Body make ME Super-Human?

I have no idea….

But for less than fifteen bucks….

You can bet I’m going to give it a try!

How about you?

But unfortunately, researchers are now finding that increasing calcium through supplementation could be damaging your heart.

In an October 2010 article in MedScape Today, Dr. Sandra A. Fryhofer, MD -Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia reports that trying to fight bone-loss by following the calcium intake recommendations developed by the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine may also increases the risk of heart attack by up to 30%!

In similar studies, researchers from Auckland, New Zealand found that treating 1,000 people with 500mg per day of calcium supplementation for 5 years would prevent 26 fractures but cause an additional 14 heart attacks!

So what to do?

Well, did you know that strength training will increase bone density without the use of supplements?

And were you also aware that regularly engaging in a well designed progressive resistance strength training program will also improve your mood, attitude, health and general fitness? (1, 2, 3)

And how about this little factoid….

The two leading indicators of health and longevity tend to be:

• Strength
• Muscle Mass

Elsa S. Strotmeyer, Ph.D., M.P.H. the Assistant Professor at the Center for Aging and Population Health Department of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, continues to find that stronger, more physically active adults live longer, happier and healthier lives as they age.

Elsa S. Strotmeyer, PhD, MPH -University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Strotmeyer’s studies also conclude that strong and physically active adults suffer less depression, less heart disease, less diabetes and less instances of rheumatoid arthritis as well.

I know it sounds simple -but it’s really true!

Get out – Get Active –

And live a long, happy, healthy life!

To Your Good Health!

When a human being encounters a life-threatening situation, a flood of hormones enter the bloodstream to help us survive. Hormones like adrenalin and cortisol, give us superhuman strength, a great big boost of energy and they temporarily switch off our other bodily functions like digestion, fighting disease and looking for a mate.

In the early days of human evolution, the stress response was vital in keeping us alive. Unfortunately, many of the modern situations that trigger the stress response are not life threatening at all.

Many of us tend to live our lives in this ‘Survival Mode’  and what science is finding is that the ‘Fight or Flight’  response that used to save our lives -is now killing us!

Chronic stress is bad for your health!

• Your Career
• Your Responsibilities
• Family Situations
• The Economy
• The Threat of Terrorism
• Even the nightly news can contribute to modern stress and anxiety.

Getting adequate rest, proper nutrition and practicing relaxation techniques each and every day will greatly reduce your  stress and anxiety. However, there are also two very effective herbal remedies for stress that work very, very well.

Holy Basil

Holy Basil is an ancient Ayurvedic adaptogen or anti-stress compound. Countless studies have shown that Holy Basil can significantly reduce feelings of stress and anxiety when taken regularly. Holy Basil has even been found to improve memory, reduce cholesterol, relieve headaches and Holy Basil also has a very positive effect on the adrenal and central nervous system.

Serenity 2.0

Serenity 2.0 is an ancient Chinese herbal formula that calms and relaxes the body -without making you feel groggy or dopey. This centuries old herbal formula effectively reduces the body’s stress and anxiety response, encourages relaxation and gives one a sense of inner calm and peace.

Serenity 2.0 can be taken several times a day…

• First thing in the morning
• Before heading off into morning traffic
• Before a stressful meeting or presentation
• Right before bedtime
• And even at night when you wake and have trouble falling back to sleep

If you are feeling nervous, anxious, tense, easily distracted, and fidgety -you may be suffering the effects of undue stress and anxiety. Chronic stress and anxiety have been linked to high blood pressure, headaches, migraines, low immunity and a shortened life-span.

Don’t take chances with your health.

Eat well. Learn to relax. Meditate. Get plenty of rest, exercise and consider using natural herbal remedies to reduce your stress, relieve your anxiety and improve your life.

To Long Life and Good Health!

F.I.R.E. stands for Full body, Intense, Resistance Exercise.

Chad incorporates these three important fitness elements into a complete training system that is fun, simple to follow and takes very little time or equipment.

In fact, Chad’s system can be performed in the privacy of your home in just under 45 minutes a day with little more than your own body weight. More advanced trainees may need additional resistance, but can certainly get by with a pair of dumbbells or even kettle-bells.

The Body of F.I.R.E. system also comes with a detailed nutrition plan that is simple to follow and a breeze to implement:

For instance, in the case of insomnia or poor sleep, the first thing we look for is stress.